Aurelia Butler

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    in Career Hacks

    How T-Mobile Gave Me The Tools to Grow My Career

    As your career progresses, it is natural to start growing curious about other opportunities and new positions. Whether that’s a new job outside of your current company, a different department within your company, or even a more senior title, these desires have a tendency to appear more than once during your career.

    Given this inevitable circumstance, it is important to know that your company is willing to support your desire to grow. But what does that support look like? And how do you know your company is willing to provide it?

    While we can’t speak for all of the companies in the telecommunications space, we can say for certain that T-Mobile is a place that supports the growth of its employees in any path that they choose to follow.

    Recently, we spoke with a few employees at T-Mobile to hear what that support looks like and how it helped them advance their careers.                  

    Freedom to Follow Passions

    One of the first things that stood out about T-Mobile is the company’s encouragement of employees to follow their passions.

    For example, Kasey Liang, a recruiting coordinator at T-Mobile, started her career with the company in a Talent Acquisition internship. Her initial responsibilities had to do with making sure the backend software used to recruit and hire talent was working and also ensuring a smooth transition to a new platform.

    However, midway through, Kasey realized that she would “rather be talking to candidates instead of dealing with the software behind it.” What Kasey did next was express these desires to her manager who not only met them with positivity and support but started helping her through the steps to make that transition. 

    One thing Kasey’s manager suggested was to start reaching out to those in the positions Kacey was seeking. This would consist of asking questions about how they got those positions, what they’ve done right, and what they’ve done wrong. 

    An Openness to Share Knowledge

    Across all of T-Mobile’s employees is an attitude of support and encouragement. This means that they will always offer help to those seeking it. As Kasey reached out to other employees at T-Mobile, she was able to learn more about the day in the life of a Recruiter.

    The fact that an employee will take time out of their day to show you what they’re doing and even allow you to shadow them goes to show the kind of spirit and camaraderie that takes place at T-Mobile.

    Transferable Skills

    Another great feature of working at T-Mobile is that you’re going to learn skills that you can take with you throughout your entire career. For example, T-Mobile uses software called Workday that helps employees with a variety of work-related functions. Being that Workday is very popular, knowing how to use it will look that much better to your next employer who may require that knowledge.

    As for the recruiting position, one thing you’re going to do a lot of is talking. You’ll be learning how to take large amounts of information like job details and responsibilities, and condense them into chunks of exciting and attention-grabbing bits. In some cases, you’ll have to negotiate pay and contracts. In other cases, you might have to learn how to have complex or difficult conversations.

    One way or another, you will be advancing your communication skills every step of the way. Another way that employees would build skills and learn new things would be through T-Mobile’s their own trial and error and exploration of new concepts.

    No One’s Going to Be Breathing Down Your Neck

    While the environment at T-Mobile is very hands-on and good at offering direct instruction, they also help employees grow by not micromanaging them and allowing them to learn individually. 

    By embracing a culture that allows individuals to think freely, T-Mobile is building employees who are able to take initiative and think on their feet. This creates a future workforce of leaders and individuals who know how to get things done.

    They Want You to Lead

    T-Mobile is a company that has all intentions of expanding and continuing to put its thumbprint on the telecommunications and technology industries. In order to do that, they want to see their employees succeed. Anastasia Byrd participated in a business intelligence internship this past May and today, she is a Senior Analyst. While the road to a senior title is not necessarily easy, it is made more attainable by the resources that T-Mobile provides.

    A manager at T-Mobile even once stated “my job is to help you get to where you want to go next.” It didn’t matter if that meant leaving the team and going somewhere else or into a senior position like Anastasia, the manager’s main intention was to enable employees to do what they desire.

    Navigating your professional desires, especially when it’s early on in your career, can be daunting. But it is made much easier when you work for a company that allows you to follow your passions and gives you the resources to help you attain them.

    If you’re someone who has always been inspired to reach new heights and accomplish your dreams, T-Mobile is an employer that will help you do it. Start browsing open roles today and get one step closer to obtaining your goals.  More

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    in Career Hacks

    Why Choose Stifel?  It’s Simple – You and Your Ideas Are Welcome Here.   

    Success is more than just an ideology here at Stifel.  It’s about taking the ideas of how to succeed and putting them into action.  These actions permeate throughout our organization, within every department, and at every Stifel branch across the nation.  And it all starts with you.  

    Stifel is a place where you can build a challenging, rewarding career with one of the industry’s most diverse, creative teams.  A place where new ideas are welcome and fresh thinking is encouraged.  The kind of thinking that helps us understand and use the forces of the market to be ready for whatever is next.

    To make this happen, our leadership makes the well-being of our associates a top priority.  We actively promote a new and different type of thinking, anchored by a commitment to helping you build strong relationships with your fellow associates across the organization. 

    So, how do we do that?  Entrepreneurial spirit.  Innovation.  And, of course, diversity and inclusivity.  These are all great ideas on the surface – but at Stifel, we put them into action from the top down.  Our leadership sets the tone with each and every associate, and our mentorship philosophy is where our culture really starts to thrive.  We encourage people in leadership positions to step back and ask themselves, “What did I need when I was coming up in the industry?  Who put a hand out for me?  Who gave me guidance?  How can I turn that around and help others that are entering our field”

    At Stifel, if you have an idea, our leadership will listen to it and truly consider it.  Your ideas can actually be put into place pretty quickly.  Our organization is structured like that.  Building on that sentiment, fostering collaboration is another key component to what makes Stifel great.  Our firm is built around supporting not only our clients, but also each other.  This is based on another simple, yet effective, guiding philosophy at Stifel – the “Golden Rule.”  Treat each other the way we would want to be treated and listen with empathy, respect, and with a heart toward understanding.     

    Stifel is often described as a large firm with a startup mentality.  Its metaphorical open-door policy means that a junior staff member can easily call a senior manager and speak with them, for example.  Additionally, the family-like relationship that the associates across departments and branches share is something very special and unique.  

    According to a study conducted by Coqual, organizations rated highly for diversity and inclusion have 57% better collaboration.  We’ve taken this to heart.  Dr. Benjamin Ola. Akande, Director of Human Resources, Diversity and Inclusion, has been an integral force in championing diversity and inclusion initiatives across the firm.

    “That’s essentially what Stifel has always done and continues to do so well – to help individuals, to help organizations, to help communities, to strengthen their capacity to be difference-makers. That’s why I’m so excited to be at Stifel – because I’m part of a team that believes in the wonderfulness of America and the ability to be able to make things better.”
    Dr. Benjamin Ola. Akande More

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    in Employer

    7 Ways to Message UVPs to Tech Candidates Now: Recruitment Marketing in 2023

    What You’ll Learn

    Why it’s not about hyper-growth anymore

    How to be creative and considerate when structuring and communicating benefits

    Why emphasizing flexibility is key

    About this eBook

    At the beginning of 2022, a common recruitment message to candidates was how rapidly a company was growing, or about the latest round of funding. 

    After companies of all sizes laid off workers in mid through late 2022, those messages needed revisions. Now, there is an unprecedented volume of high-quality, seasoned talent looking for their next role. 

    To make the most of this opportunity to reach previously passive candidates and slingshot your teams forward, use this eBook to proactively address jobseeker priorities or concerns. More

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    in Employer

    How to Onboard Successfully & More: Talk Talent to Me December ’22 Recap

    Catch up on the December 2022 episodes of Hired’s Talk Talent to Me podcast featuring recruiting and talent acquisition leaders who share strategies, techniques, and trends shaping the recruitment industry. 

    Respecting history, protecting the future, and maintaining healthy office culture with Hadley Haut, Executive Director at The Atlantic 

    Diversity on a leadership level, career path building, and successful onboarding with Amy Cappellanti-Wolf, CHRO at Cohesity

    Educational standards, the importance of soft skills, and India as a source of talent with Aditya Singh, Director of Talent Acquisition at Informatica

    Working for an agency versus in-house, initiating urgency and speed, and the responsibilities of a TA leader with Jodi Cohen, Director of Talent Acquisition at Tombras

    HR personnel versus recruiters, turning a bad interview into a valuable one, and personal branding with The HR Twins Carla Patton & Camille Tate

    Unconventional career journeys, the pressure to specialize, and why sourcing is often oversimplified with Wesley Gilbert, Global Head of TA at On

    A white glove approach to recruiting, reframing job descriptions, and flexibility in the resume process with Alia Poonawala & Emma O’Rourke-Powell, Recruiting Directors at Johns Hopkins University 

    1. Hadley Haut, Executive Director at The Atlantic

    Candidates should approach the company they want to work for with deliberate ambition, adequate research, and the will to uphold company values. Hadley did exactly that on her way to becoming Executive Director of Talent and Culture at The Atlantic. She shares how, despite the difficulties of the pandemic, her company successfully maintained its office culture. Hadley also explains why working in-office is still extremely valuable for all employees. 

    “When you’re ready for a new job, the best thing you can do is reach out to a company where you really want to work, because that’s the first thing anyone who is hiring you will notice.” 

    Listen to the full episode.

    2. Amy Cappellanti-Wolf, CHRO at Cohesity

    The workplace is rapidly changing and there is an increasing focus on the mental health, wellness, goals, and happiness of employees. Amy discusses her interesting HR philosophies and shares how to find the right way to help onboarding employees integrate successfully. Amy also suggests how to lead onboarding to secure employee retention and engage employees in their work. She even offers an example of how to plan an employee’s onboarding process!

    “There’s a ton of studies that if you don’t get onboarding, right within the first month to 60 days, retention drops drastically after the first year of employment. It’s not only the right thing to do for your employees, but there’s real business value in doing that.” 

    Listen to the full episode.

    3. Aditya Singh, Director of Talent Acquisition at Informatica 

    As educational standards constantly change, is it still necessary to hire talent based solely on the educational background? Or, should recruiters look for something else? Aditya helps answer this and emphasizes the importance of soft skills. He also discusses India as a major source of talent for companies based outside of the country, explaining why India is unique in the talent it produces. Learn about the country’s current surge in technical skills development and why startups remain the focus of many Indian investors.

    “I think we need to get away from role-based positions. The guardrails of education are slowly moving out. I think that we find the person who’s able to deliver, focus on the result and what the individual brings to the table, and then the background of the individual.”

    Listen to the full episode.

    4. Jodi Cohen, Director Talent Acquisition at Tombras

    Jodi dives into her journey as a recruiter and how she ended up working in-house, which she compares to working for an agency. She also dives into how she brought urgency and speed to Tombras, and moves quickly while putting processes in place. Jodi tells us her thoughts on the roles and responsibilities of a Director of Talent Acquisition, and why being hands-on is essential. 

    “I am still very reluctant to pass on any responsibilities through the hiring process. Anything that’s communication with the candidate, I’m still going to take on, because that ensures that the relationship with the candidate is going to be maintained throughout the process.” 

    Listen to the full episode.

    5. Camille Tate & Carla Patton, Head of Talent at Strava and VP of HR at RAPP

    For departments that should work in tandem, many find that HR personnel and recruiters often devalue each other’s roles. This episode’s guest duo rectified this common situation and reveal exactly how HR and TA should join forces. In fact, these two guests are twins and work side-by-side to deliver the hit podcast, The Career Saloon. Carla and Camille offer takes on their least favorite aspects of the opposite department too. As for advice, they tell us how to turn a bad interview into a valuable one, why it’s vital to be self-aware, and why personal branding is inherent in each of us. 

    Related: What Happens When TA & Hiring Managers Unite? Best Practices from One Medical, NBCUniversal & More

    “People are always watching you. It doesn’t matter if you think they aren’t; they are always watching you. If you don’t think you have a personal brand, you do.”

    Listen to the full episode.

    6. Wesley Gilbert, Global Head of TA at On

    Not everyone follows a linear career path, and pursuing a non-traditional route can equip you with useful skills you wouldn’t otherwise have acquired. With a varied and eventful career journey, Wesley is living proof that there’s no correct way to approach your career. He offers a refreshing perspective, sharing how a fortuitous encounter facilitated his first recruitment job and how he realized the inflexibility of a larger organization wasn’t for him. He also discusses the pressure to become more specialized (and the benefits of being a generalist). 

    “It doesn’t matter how senior you are when you come into a company. We’re going to give you some autonomy, we’re going to give you some scope. And we’re going to give you the trust to go and do that. And that means that you just attract a completely different caliber of people.”

    Listen to the full episode.

    7. Alia Poonawala & Emma O’Rourke-Powell, Recruiting Directors at Johns Hopkins University 

    In another episode featuring double the insights, Alia and Emma from Hire Hopkins, the recruiting arm of Johns Hopkins University, discuss university recruitment. They shed light on their white glove approach featuring one-on-one and data-driven work, and share how building an infrastructure streamlines the recruitment process. Alia and Emma also explain how to reframe job descriptions to generate interest from the target market, why flexibility is vital in the resume process, and why you should consider international talent. 

    “The companies that do well are the ones that are teachable and willing to experiment.” 

    Related: Raise the Bar in 2023: Strategies from Top Employers Winning Tech Talent (VIDEO)

    Listen to the full episode.

    Want more insights into recruiting tips and trends?

    Tune into Hired’s podcast, Talk Talent to Me, to learn about the strategies, techniques, and trends shaping the recruitment industry—straight from top experts themselves. More

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    in Employer

    Hiring Tech Talent is Tough. Here’s Why (and What to Do About it)

    Pandemics change things. They are the cultural equivalent of an apocalypse, and while we can rebuild and recover, the process of adapting to a whole new landscape can be labor intensive and painful. 

    We’re still in the midst of the shifts created by Covid-19 and the ensuing lockdowns. Many of them are showing themselves in labor markets, hiring tools, and overall attitudes towards work. Economic uncertainty over the course of 2023 will only continue to shift the ground under our feet. 

    A 98% chance of a global recession in 2023, as reported by Ned Davis Research, has alarmed experts worldwide. Even with continued efforts to control inflation, 90% of CEOs expect to see a significant rise in cost within the next 12 months. Moreover, 50% of HR leaders expect increased talent competition over the next six months.

    These trends present challenges for the tech industry’s recruitment and talent acquisition landscape. Despite this, software engineer and developer roles continue to be in demand. 

    According to Hired, software engineers received twice the amount of interview requests last year than in 2020. However, reduced hiring will probably continue with the anticipated recession, as well as tech hiring freezes and potential layoffs.

    Related: Cost of Vacancy: Making the Case for Hiring During a Downturn

    How did tech recruiting become even more challenging?

    The technology industry is rife with competition, an overwhelming skills gap, and a shortage of seasoned professionals—a true catch-22 situation. Specific skill-set requirements, high demand for developers, and long hiring processes even lead recruiters to lose candidates to competitors.

    In a nutshell, things have become complex. Entirely new challenges, along with others that were idling in the background for years, are shifting rapidly into high gear.

    1. Remote work sparks a tech boom

    With lockdowns and remote work policies, organizations underwent rapid digitization to support work-from-home. Team meetings, organizational development, and everything in between, forced companies to change tech and revamp policies, which increased demand for tech experts as a whole.

    Related eBook: How Smart Companies are Solving Post-Lockdown Working (4 New Trends)

    2. Tech talent crisis: the skills gap

    Technologies like cloud computing, data science, and machine learning—once esoteric and mostly discussed at the university level—are now ubiquitous. The speed with which this tech has delivered results has been geometric, thus creating increased demand. New roles offering great opportunities for people with the right skill-sets are multiplying, but those skills are often in short supply. 

    Meanwhile, industries and roles that were once mainstream are rapidly becoming obsolete. This is leaving the workforce trained for jobs that either no longer exist or look far different than they did just a few years ago.

    Now, as technology evolves to meet these demands, organizations and jobseekers are struggling to keep up, leaving many tech roles vacant and in need of urgent hire.

    3. Shrinking tech talent pools

    The skills gap problem is compounded by a limited pool of tech talent. Datapeople’s Tech Hiring report found that while job posts doubled in 2021, the talent pool shrank by 25%. According to a survey by Gartner, Inc, businesses cited the talent shortage as one of the main barriers to emerging tech adoption and modernization. 

    In addition, 93% of candidates show a preference for remote or hybrid jobs. While companies are more open to interviewing candidates from different markets, Hired data indicates many still limit their search to two time zones, leading to smaller talent pools and causing searches to fall short in a growing market. 

    Navigating the hiring landscape: what’s next?

    It’s true that overcoming these challenges will require consistent time and effort. While various strategies help you efficiently hire tech talent, it’s imperative to start with the fundamentals. 

    Here’s what you need to know.

    Tech talent will prevail

    Economic downturn or not, tech is here to stay. The demand for skilled talent will remain heavy across industries as companies adopt new technologies. Keeping an eye on upcoming market changes allows you to maximize your hiring efforts. 

    Trends to Watch:

    Current skills shortages and in-demand skills

    Popular technologies, tools, and software in use 

    Industry-specific issues like employee turnover and retention

    What employers are doing to meet candidate needs and demands 

    How your competitors attract and retain their talent

    Where to look for tech candidates

    Trends in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)

    Use insights from these trends to develop a robust talent acquisition strategy that allows you to attract your key candidates, stay connected over downtime, and begin onboarding when you are ready.

    Related eBook: 10 Things You Can Do to Reach DEI Goals

    Keep it coming

    Talent sustainability is defined as an organization’s ability to continuously attract, develop, and retain candidates with the skills and qualities required for current and future roles, allowing the company to align business and talent goals as they adapt to a swiftly changing market. 

    A sustainable talent strategy ensures that you hire mindfully by evaluating organizational skill gaps and needs, then building a pipeline of qualified candidates as you rise to meet your long-term goals. 

    In addition, a talent acquisition process that incorporates core values can help strengthen your employer brand. If you need help in this area, we’ve created resources for both startups and larger enterprise companies.

    Always one step ahead

    With the surge in digitization, data science, and artificial intelligence (AI), there is a widespread need for tech experts. However, the skills gap has created a scenario where companies struggle to find skilled talent, and employees struggle to learn new skills. 

    Throwing in an upcoming recession will significantly impact hiring in the tech industry. All these issues will define the forthcoming talent trends and challenges, which will no doubt lead to limited talent pools and labor shortages.

    If you haven’t already adopted a more vigorous and intentional stance to your talent strategy, we can help you get started. Book a demo with Hired today! More

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    in Employer

    3 Ways You Should Use C-Suite to Recruit Tech Talent (+ Free Templates)

    What You’ll Learn

    How to standardize the hiring process and apply it to everyone

    Why you should take senior leaders out of the “interviewing” function

    How to stand out by integrating senior leadership into candidate communications

    About this eBook

    Hired works with customers of all sizes and we’re grateful to constantly learn from them. Over the last year, we heard some great strategies and in this eBook we share them with you. Use these learnings to help you effectively use your senior leadership in recruiting. More

  • 125 Shares99 Views

    in Employer

    How to Secure Approval for New Tech Tools (Free Template)

    What You’ll Learn

    The specifics around what your tool request should address

    How a FinOps framework promotes value realization

    How to get decision makers aligned, engaged, and rooting for you

    About this eBook

    Have you identified a new tech tool to help you or your team? Purchases are facing more scrutiny than ever before, so it’s crucial to get the right people involved early and secure their buy-in to expedite the process. Discover how to prepare your case and minimize pushback with the free template. More

  • 188 Shares129 Views

    in Career Hacks

    Day in the Life: Working at One of the Biggest Accounting Firms in the US

    There is nothing that compares to an energetic, engaged, and sociable office environment. A place that feels like a second home, where you know everybody, where you can put your best foot forward, and where you can grow and thrive with a group of diverse minds who aren’t just your colleagues but your friends too.

    We’re happy to say that such an office exists in the heart of Minneapolis. KPMG Minneapolis has built a culture and community that goes far beyond an office space. In our conversations with employees from the KPMG Minneapolis office, both new and old, we discovered what makes their office perfect for those who want more than a run-of-the-mill office experience.

    Collective Problem-Solving

    A very common worry that a lot of entry-level employees or early career professionals come across is what to do when faced with obstacles. As is the case with any new job, challenges will arise, so this is very natural.

    When we spoke with Reece English, a former intern and current Tax Associate at KPMG, he mentioned that having a bunch of fellow colleagues in the same position as him was incredibly helpful. For example, one day Reece was having an issue with a platform he was using at his desk. After firing off a question to a fellow colleague, instead of replying in the chat, she stopped what she was doing and went over to Reece’s desk and walked him through it.

    Whether it’s asking a fellow intern for a ride to work or getting a managing partner to look over a review you did, everyone at KPMG seeks to support one another whenever possible.

    Social Life

    In our conversations with employees from KPMG, we discovered that they cultivate a culture that values socializing and employee interaction. Pizza days, taco Tuesdays, morning coffee and donuts, and happy hours are incredibly common at the KPMG Minneapolis office. These events help build camaraderie and meaningful bonds between employees.

    The Minneapolis office even has a basketball team and kickball team. While the basketball team is company-wide, the kickball team is exclusively for interns and gives them the chance to compete in a tournament against the other Big Four accounting firms. KPMG won in 2021 but lost in 2022 so they are hoping for a big comeback next year.

    Lastly, the training at the KPMG Lakehouse in Orlando also underscores the firm’s dedication to building a well-connected community. Every year, all KPMG professionals from, intern to partner, head down to the training and innovation center to upskill, socialize, and get to know one another better. Fit with a gym, social venues, and tons of other amenities, the experiences at Lakehouse goes to show KPMG’s dedication to creating fun and lasting bonds between employees.

    Real Experience with Clients

    The KPMG Minneapolis office is particularly unique because of its close proximity to its clients, many of which are Fortune 500 companies. In fact, Minnesota is home to over fifteen Fortune 500 companies, most of which are audit, tax and/or advisory clients of the Minneapolis office. What this means is interns and associates get the chance to interact and work directly with clients on a regular basis.

    Whether it’s through coffee chats, boardroom meetings, or onsite engagements, employees get the chance to work directly with these clients as they help influence business decisions in real-time! For Lilli Denison, that meant no day was the same.

    This communal aspect, paired with the client engagement that even interns get to partake in, made Lilli realize that employees at the Minneapolis office would always be exposed to new, exciting, and meaningful work.

    A Supportive Network

    Another one of the most alluring aspects of the KPMG Minneapolis office is the bottomless support network provided by fellow colleagues and partners. In our conversation with James Powell, the office managing partner in Minneapolis, he spoke about the “pass it forward” mentality that exists throughout the organization.

    James emphasized how there is a “whole network of people who, yes, have a job to do, but at the same time also find it very important to make sure that the people around them are successful.” James went on to say how much of a proud culture the KPMG Minneapolis office has and how that pride reverberates off the behavior of employees helping one another. This pride stems from their devotion to helping fellow colleagues and lifting each other up whenever possible.

    At KPMG, it doesn’t matter if you’ve been with the company for a day or a decade, everyone is treated the same and given the same opportunities to grow and succeed.

    Make the Minneapolis Leap

    People choose to stay at KPMG for a variety of reasons. Some include the ones we mentioned earlier, but many of them are discovered by the employees themselves. Whether it’s the support system, the social life, or the paths to success that are paved for each and every employee, the KPMG Minneapolis office is the destination where early career professionals go to thrive.

    Learn more about the internships and open roles that KPMG is looking to fill at their Minneapolis office and locations across the country here and begin your road to success! More